A Pot of Boiling Memories

Jewel Wink's memoir describes how her experiences growing up in a large and loving family during the challenging years of the Great Depression and World War II. She traces how she was nurtured and inspired by these ordinary/extraordinary people. She recounts the key challenges of each decade in her long and fruitful life. Readers will enjoy the underlying sense of humor and draw inspiration to take action.

Jewel Wink's memoir describes how her experiences growing up in a large and loving family during the challenging years of the Great Depression and World War II shaped her into a person determined to contribute to the world. The way her family helped and supported each other provides modern readers with a blueprint for resilient families. By describing the obstacles and sorrows they confronted, she traces how she was nurtured and inspired by these ordinary people—family, friends and colleagues—and how they accomplished extraordinary things. She recounts the key challenges of each decade in her long and fruitful life. Providing this context enhances the value of the lessons observed. Readers will enjoy the underlying sense of humor and draw inspiration in their own lives to take action to create a better world.

Born at the height of the Great Depression on October 20, 1937, Jewel Wink was the youngest child in a large family. She claims to be her elderly father's last viable sperm. Adored by her five older siblings, she grew up during World War II with all of its challenges and victories. She met her husband at Bowling Green State University and after several moves, they settled in Canandaigua, New York, where they raised their four children and became beloved members of the community. As a young wife and mother, she confronted injustice through action, raising money for Native American causes and initiating the first course in Black Studies. Following a surgery to correct scoliosis and a year of recovery, she finished her education and began teaching. She was inspired by a fellow teacher to get a master's degree in learning disorders from the University of Rochester. She used this knowledge to rescue countless students by diagnosing their specific issues and designing educational programs to meet their needs and bring out their best. Her colleagues nominated her to the Women's Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, New York. She recognizes that she and her accomplishments stood on the shoulders of those who came before her, her ordinary family members, friends, and colleagues who accomplished extraordinary things. Her memory shows how these people shaped her life. She hopes that her stories will inspire and move you to action, and that you will be enriched by the recounting of their experiences.